STEMI Level I
Boone Health has been designated a Level 1 STEMI center by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. STEMI stands for ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction and is a potentially fatal form of heart attack. Level 1 STEMI designation is the highest possible honor given to hospitals. The designation is part of the state department’s Time Critical Diagnosis or “TCD” plans and it allows Boone Health to act as a heart attack resource in the community it serves.
“Boone Health has made great strides to continue to improve timely care and hand-off for our Time Critical patients diagnosed with STEMI—or a heart attack requiring prompt attention. Boone Health’s STEMI team is committed to the Department of Health and Senior Services Time Critical Diagnosis program. Because of the dedication of this program, created and sustained since December 2007, our patient populations have benefited from greater access to life-saving procedures as well as improved communication between those that transport patient to the appropriate level of care and facilities that are sending or receiving these types of,” says Boone Health STEMI coordinator Kristi Baden.
In 2007, a state task force identified a lack of consistent protocols for STEMI care. Improvements began with public education on the importance of calling 911, and extended to creating regional transport protocols and standardizing feedback and patient handoff. Multidisciplinary committees across our state provide mentoring to rural systems, as well as facilitate vital communication between emergency medical systems, sending, and receiving facilities.
Approximately every 40 seconds, an American will have a heart attack. While having such facilities like Boone Health being designated a Level 1 STEMI center, to care for such patients, health factors and behaviors impacting your heart health, that patients can assist in controlling include: not-smoking, physical activity, healthy diet, body weight, control of cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood sugar.